Wake Forest Field Hockey Travels To Ann Arbor, Mich. For Two Games This Weekend

Deacons To Face Kent State and No.1-ranked Michigan State

Sept. 17, 2004

Winston-Salem, NC -
The Demon Deacon field hockey team travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. this weekend for a two game tournament. Wake Forest faces Kent State on Saturday at 2 p.m. followed by a Sunday contest against the No.1-ranked Michigan State squad. Wake Forest enters the weekend 6-1.

Kent State and the Deacons have met six times since their first match in 1992. The Oct.10 meeting that year marked the only Golden Flashes victory in the series. Wake Forest has won the last five, with three shut-outs. The defending national champions pocketed the 4-0 victory Sept.14 last season. Kent State travels to Ann Arbor with a 2-3 record.

"Kent State is a well-coached team," said Deacon head coach Jennifer Averill. "They will be well prepared for this weekend."

Michigan State has beaten the Deacons only once in the teams four meetings. The Spartans 2-0 victory came on Aug. 26, 2001. All games between the teams resulted in shut-outs. Wake Forest won 6-0 in 2000, 3-0 in 2002 and 5-0 last year at home. The Spartans are undefeated this season and are the only team to hold the No.1 ranking since Wake Forest grabbed it in the first poll of the 2003 season.

"Michigan State has gotten off to a great, fast start," Averill said. "The game will be tough, they've really shown great potential already this season."

The schedules of Kent State, Michigan State and Wake Forest have shared mutual opponents already this season. Kent State defeated James Madison in the season opener, 2-0, fell to Ohio State, 1-3, and lost to Duke, 0-10 last Sunday. Michigan State is the only team to defeat Duke this season, in a 4-1 win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans beat James Madison, 6-1. Wake Forest beat James Madison, 4-0, Ohio State, 6-0, and in their only loss of the season, fell to Duke in overtime, 3-4.

The Deacons return to Kentner Stadium next Saturday for a 1 p.m. date with No.2-ranked Maryland.